The Fruit of the Spirit--Love--Day 3

 

Every mention of love in every one of these verses is a form of agape.  Agape love is a sense of goodwill and actively doing what the Lord prefers.  1 Corinthians 13, arguably the most famous verses on love in all of scripture, sheds light on works we might do.  We might say all of the right words, impressively preaching and teaching.  We might have big faith with big results. We may give and give some more.  But if God-specific love doesn't drive these actions, they ultimately are only works of the flesh.  John 13:35  surprised me with it's use of agape, because it seems more like a brotherly (or sisterly 👸) love verse.  (The word for love like that is Phileo).  But if we only love with emotion, we aren't really set apart. John 15:17 and 1 John 4:19 use a different form of agape, agapate, which denotes love of reason or esteem.  

I can't imagine a more broad word to start with in our study of the fruit of the Spirit.  (Rabbit trail alert....It's one fruit, because it's one Vine, and one Spirit.  We can't "cherry pick" {see what I did there?} the fruit we want to focus on and let the others slide.  God sees them as a package deal, and so should we.) I think Christians and non-Christians alike would agree that "God is Love", at least on some level.  We see it on so many bumper stickers, it starts to sound cliche.  But it's not; it's a beautiful truth.  I don't think we can begin to understand the breadth and length and height and depth of God's love in one post, but hopefully it will motivate us to dig deeper.  

Galatians 5:16-26 contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit.  What the flesh desires is evident--sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of angers, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things likes these.  Even if we have sisterly or brotherly love to someone, we may still treat them wrongly in any of these situations.  I've heard it said "Would you treat her like that, knowing she is someone's daughter or sister?" And that might be enough to stop sinful, evil desires for a time.  But what if we say "Would you treat her like that, knowing she is made in the image of God?"  Agape is a love that is actively doing what God prefers.  Agapate is actively doing what God prefers because the people we come in contact with have value. I know I can't do this on my own, I'm too snarky.   On the days I can barely muster even a like for my fellow humans, I want to actively do what the Spirit is nudging me to do.  To see value in others because He first saw value in me. And then to love with true freedom!!